Florida since 1850: Shifting patterns of population growth

Florida's population growth has been spatially and temporally uneven. Significant growth occurred in different regions of the state during certain periods of time. This differential growth was a result of specific socioeconomic conditions that varied both temporally and spatially. Florida was granted statehood 1845 and served as the southern extension of the plantation system. Growth was high in the northern regions of Florida during the antebellum years. After reconstruction, railroad infrastructure was developed that connected the distant reaches of the state with each other and the rest of the country. This facilitated the growth of the central regions of the peninsula. The construction of roads and the popularity of the automobile brought settlers and land developers to the southern regions of Florida in the early twentieth century. After a growth slump during the Depression, activities of World War II once again stimulated growth in the state, especially in the southeastern peninsula. The recent phenomenon of elderly migration has shifted growth to the less populated areas of the southwestern peninsula.